Laura Vandervoort talks V!

In tonight’s all new episode of V, we get to meet the mysterious John May (Michael Trucco), and I’m sure it’s going to be one heck of a ride. Now that the Fifth Column is ramping up their plan, and Lisa is going full bore on the Tyler brainwashing, the story is really getting good!

Early last week, I had the chance to spend some time talking V with series star Laura Vandervoort who gave me very little insight (in case she spoiled something she shouldn’t) into the world of these Visitors. Check out what the former Supergirl has to say about her show, her fans, and why people should be tuning in!

Tell me a little bit about how you first got involved in the show? Was it something that you read the script and just had to be a part of or how did it all come together?
Um, actually, well, I was in LA and looking for my next job and (like most actors) and V was one of the scripts that came along and actually I was kind of captivated in the process. I didn’t audition. I think they were actually in the process of shooting the pilot and they were looking to cast Lisa and they hadn’t found anyone and they called and I guess, from my understanding, just from SMALLVILLE and the connections there they thought, you know, they would see if I was around for it and of course jumped at it because I loved the idea and the concept of it and the network. Originally she was just supposed to be a guest star and it turns out, much like Kara in SMALLVILLE, I got to stick around for a little while. It’s great. I love sci-fi so.

Excellent. Had you…well I know that we are a little bit young to kind of remember the series, but did you watch it, did you go back and watch, do you remember watching it as a kid?
Yeah I didn’t , I actually had never even (to be honest) heard of it. I was born in ‘84 so I figure I was about one when it came out. That’s my excuse.

Yeah mine is I was three so I have the same kind of excuse.
Yeah exactly. I mean the things I’ve heard was that there had been an original series made. I purchased the mini-series and I watched different episodes of it but I really didn’t think it had much to do with our show despite the obvious aliens. They were so vastly different, especially with the special effects we have now and the story arcs and the drama, but I have watched them and I loved the originals but I am just like ten times beyond the original.

The character Lisa, like you said, was originally just supposed to be a guest star and now your sticking around for a long time, it seems, with a character like that, when you’re only given a guest star to start from, is it hard to get the background, like do you have a back story built in place or is it something that you build as you go when you get more about the character?
Well yeah with the beginning of a show coming from the ground up, I don’t think that, I mean they kind of, as the stories are written and things are discovered I don’t think that is necessarily that they have the characters life mapped out from the beginning. I mean that’s great and not so great for the actor because obviously we want to know the ins and outs of our character but at the same time if we do know more than we should we may show that in our performance. So they kind of leave the big stuff to tell us last minute so that we don’t give anything way. I mean I’m learning more about Lisa just finishing off the last few episodes of this season there is stuff I didn’t know when we were shooting the first five, but I don’t think it effects the performance, you know for the actors to keep in their minds about where they come from.

Taking the next couple of episodes, what is coming up? What can we except from the next few weeks of V?
Oh boy. We have been shooting this whole time, so it is like, there is so much going on in the show. I can’t even keep track of myself because every episode there is something that hardly anyone expected to happen or especially at the very end of every episode there is always like, this huge cliff hanger that blows their minds and then action. There is a pregnancy, there is a death, there is you know explosions, some characters that have not interacted before. Because it is such a large cast, a lot of the actors actually don’t even get to work together. The characters are starting to kind of connect in the little web that they have. Yeah… there is a lot going on. Especially with Tyler and Lisa.

Do you think that the character of Lisa is really falling for this kid or is she just doing what she is told, or is that something that we will explore on the show as the seasons go?
Yeah. I can’t really speak to that but.. Put it this way, from what everyone has seen so far, she is, uh, following mother’s orders.

Is it hard to be on a show like this where you can’t say anything about anything without giving anything way?
It’s like I have to be this good artist who can manipulate words into questions.

Exactly. I try to ask the questions that are going to make sure that you don’t have to do too much word-mixing.
I just have to just spin my web so no one understands what I am saying.

Why do you think that V is a show that people should start tuning in to or should be watching or should keep continuing to watch?
Because it is the greatest show ever. Um, no but it is. I am not just saying it because I’m an actor on it and I want people to watch. I would watch it even if I wasn’t on it because there is so much going on and like you know if your not a sci-fi fan you know I would say, in my opinion, the show is 25% sci-fi and the rest is character driven drama and romance and action. I mean there is a bit of everything that I think any age could truly watch it.

I like that when you get to see a new person interact with another new character, they all have chemistry, like there is not a weak person in this amazing cast that you just keeping listing off the names like Liz Mitchell and Joel Gretsch like, so many names and everybody just has something there.
Yeah and a lot of us come from sci-fi backgrounds which is pretty funny. I don’t know if they had planned that and as they write the stories it is great the way they are connecting the characters. I mean I am connected to characters that I didn’t think Lisa would have anything to do with so it is working well.

So you said you are very interested in sci-fi. Is there something that really caught your attention at a young age or just something that, as you have gotten older and you’re acting in more things, like SMALLVILLE, that you are just embracing it?
I think SMALLVILLE was the start of my sci-fi life, I don’t know what you would call it, I do like sci-fi and you know SMALLVILLE got me my sci-fi fans that I am lucky enough to have them follow me over at V as well, like I’ve said in other interviews and I strongly believe this is that a lot of female roles, at least on television, unless you are playing a cop or a forensic scientist, the female roles aren’t exactly strong and I think sci-fi allows the women to you know, I keep using the word dominate, but I don’t think that is the right word, to control their own lives and to take care of themselves, I wouldn’t say dominate, that could be taken wrong, but

I know exactly what you mean. They not only get to kind of have a weapon, but they also seem stronger and more empowered.
Yeah definitely, that’s what I love.

We will get to see more of the V backstory? Where they come from things like that as it goes or will they basically focus on them on Earth?
Hum. You’ll get a bit of a back story. Probably, I wouldn’t think this season you’re going to learn a lot about our back story, it is more why we are here. Maybe you’ll learn a little bit more as it continues.

What other shows do you get to watch when you have some down time?
Oh ha actually when I do watch television, it is usually a lot of the channel TLC. You know CAKE BOSS and SAY YES TO THE DRESS, and I don’t know I’m cheesy so I like to watch those TLC happy family shows. Probably not like what Lisa would watch at all.